


NaNo2020 Pikelan Warmups

by CavannaRose



Series: Critical Role Fics [7]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Arguments, Battle, Birth, Combat, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gentle Kissing, Grief/Mourning, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Injury, Kissing, Magic, Medical Attention, Minor Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia, Prompt Fic, Random & Short, Relationship Explorations, Step-Mom Pike, Team Big and Smalls, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 09:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 9,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27348529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavannaRose/pseuds/CavannaRose
Summary: For my 2020 NaNo warm-up writings I will be doing a collection of Pike Trickfoot/Scanlan Shorthalt drabbles based on a prompt list.
Relationships: Scanlan Shorthalt/Pike Trickfoot
Series: Critical Role Fics [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1021350
Comments: 43
Kudos: 19





	1. "No, come back!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Angst

The words hovered at the tip of her tongue, held back by nothing more nor less than her pride. She wouldn’t beg him to stay, not when he was clearly so set on leaving them, on leaving her. She hadn’t thought it would hurt this much, his going off to who knew where. Without them. Without her. Wasn’t she the one who was always leaving? Her Faith had demanded so much from her in these last few years, and though she hated to do it, she’d spent more time away from Vox Machina than she had with them. Pike never realized how much Scanlan’s being there had actually made it easier. How much she relied on him to watch over their friends in her absence.

Who would heal him when he got caught up in some scrape or another that he refused to be ashamed about? Who would watch Grog’s back at the House of Lady Favours? Who would ceaselessly flirt with her, reminding her that she was so much more than a Cleric? How could she admit that devoting the whole of herself to Sarenrae hadn’t been as satisfying since she had met Scanlan Shorthalt? He didn’t just see her as a Champion of the Everlight, Temple Builder and Healer. He saw her as a woman, with wants and desires of her own. Wants and desires that he very much had wanted to know more about, despite how often she put him off. 

Still the worlds stalled, and they all watched him walk out of their lives, angry, and rightfully so. They had taken him for granted, her maybe more than the others. That night she put in the magic earring and spoke, though she couldn’t guarantee that he would be wearing his, or even be in range if he was. “Scanlan, I know you can’t hear, but I’m sitting here in a tavern with Grog. He just went to sleep…” She told him about her day, but she couldn’t say those three little words. Instead, she found another three to say. “I miss you.”


	2. "That's the easy part."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff  
> Tagged: Team Big and Smalls

How could four simple words fill a body with so much apprehension, but also that warm, loving sensation? Not that she would ever admit to the latter, she was Pike Trickfoot after all. She had a reputation to keep up. She came around the corner to see two heads close together, despite the massive size difference between the two men. Grog was folded near in half, and Scanlan was standing on a chair, but both of them were focused on whatever it was that the bard was showing her adopted brother.

“Pike!” Grog’s voice boomed across the tiny space and he unfolded himself, crossing the room in a few short strides to squeeze her in a too-tight hug. “Scanlan is helping me plan a prank to get back at Vax for shaving me beard!” The goliath set her down, gentle as a thistle in the breeze, on the chair beside the other gnome, who had the courtesy to look at least a little shamefaced. Sometimes he forgot that she was raised side by side with his best friend, and whether or not she was the Champion of the Everlight, she was still, somewhere inside, a Trickfoot, just a better version.

“All right, show me what I can do to help!” Grog’s booming laugh shook the rafters above them again while Scanlan looked first surprised, and then gleeful. Eyes sparkling he detailed a rather daring venture involving two buckets of butter, the contents of three down pillows, and tree sap. The pillows and tree sap were, of course, the easy part. The butter was posing a problem, but Pike had a solution that set all three of them out to collect their appointed items with grins on their faces. They even managed to get through it all with only one marriage proposal from Scanlan.


	3. "You did this?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff  
> Tagged: Alcohol Consumption

It was hard to believe, not that he would do something like this, Scanlan Shorthalt was nothing if not dramatic and extravagant, but that anyone would do something like this for her. She wasn’t a gnome of extravagant tastes, but she could admit in the most private corner of her heart that the thoughtfulness, the effort, it got to her. He could be such a buffoon, with his wild flirtations and declarations of undying affection, but this? This made her think that maybe there was something real here. Maybe she did actually mean more to him than a passing flirtation. At least… at the very least she could indulge him for an afternoon.

With a surprisingly shy smile, she accepted Scanlan’s hand up into the elegant carriage drawn by four matching white horses. A momentary flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly quelled beneath his usual confident smile. But she had seen it, and now Pike knew that his self-assured attitude was at least partly bluster, and that endeared him to her a little more. As she settled onto the plush seat, Shorthalt pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses, offering one to her with a flourish. “You won’t regret this, Pike Trickfoot, I’m going to show you the kind of day that other bards will sing about for decades.”

Giving Scanlan a wicked grin, Pike accepted the glass of wine, tipping it back in one go and then holding her glass out for more. She’d been drinking with Grog for years, a little wine wasn’t going to impress her. With a devilish light in her eyes, she challenged her vivacious suitor. “Merely decades? We’re gnomes, Scanlan. If you want to be impressive, it has to be worth a century of gossip at least.”

Bowing at the waist he smiled brightly back at her. “What my lady desires, my lady shall receive. Driver! Double speed, we have an angel to impress!!!”


	4. “That didn’t stop you before”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Relationship Exploration

The words weren’t accusatory, more … confused. She stared across the table at Scanlan, a mug of ale clenched in her fist. Pike was starting to think she might never understand the bard, and his weird beliefs and quirks. That wasn’t a bad thing, he was like a puzzle to solve, and she was starting to think it might be fun to invest time into trying to figure him out. “You flirted and went to the lady favours places all through our travels, even while you were telling me you loved me, why is it different now?”

The curiosity in her voice gave him hope. He had been afraid that this would turn into an argument, there had been so many lately, but she seemed willing to listen. Of course, out of all of them, Pike had always been the best listener. It didn’t matter how stupid or half-cocked an idea was, she always gave it her full attention. It made the speaker feel like they mattered, like maybe they mattered to  _ her _ . It was one of the reasons he had fallen for the other gnome. Who wouldn’t love someone who made them feel like they were worth listening to? “I can’t really explain, but since Kaylie… I’ve just been looking at my actions differently. Trying to make what I do match what I say. Now it feels wrong to say I love you and then tumble into bed with a stranger. But I just want to know I have a chance. A real one. With you.”

There was an intensity in Scanlan’s eyes as he leaned across the table, one she didn’t think she’d seen before. Whether for the long haul, or just for this moment, he was serious. Pike bought herself a moment to think by drinking from her mug, downing nearly half the contents before she had made up her mind. “If you mean it, if it’s not just words, then of course you have a chance. I just never took you seriously because  _ you _ didn’t seem to take you seriously. If you change your mind though, just tell me okay? I don’t want Grog to feel like he has to pick between his best friends.”


	5. "Unacceptable, try again"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff  
> Tagged: Team Big and Smalls  
> Tagged: Alcohol Consumption

Pike leaned back in her chair, laughing so hard that tears formed in her eyes as Scanlan strutted alongside the table, imitating the arrogant popinjay who had come around the Temple of the Everlight early that morning, demanding some kind of special treatment because his family had money and a position of power. “Don’t you know who I am? I demand to speak to someone important!” Breaking character to join Pike in laughter, he slumped onto the bench beside her, their outer thighs bumping together under the table. When she didn’t move away, he grinned brightly, leaning forward across the table to swipe a swig out of Grog’s mug. 

“And there was our Pike, in fun buns and dirty overalls, working in the garden and she just brushes a loose hair from her face, leaving a streak of dirt wherever her hand touched skin, and cool as you please says ‘Well I’m the Champion of the Everlight, is that important enough for you?” Grog’s roaring laugh filled the tavern, drawing a few momentarily curious glances, but noting the trio, the patrons returned to their own conversations. The goliath and his two gnome friends were a regular sight here these days. “He damn near fell over himself trying to decide whether to apologize or accuse her of lying.”

“I think he actually managed to do both.” Pike smiled over the top of her mug, the froth forming an adorable mustache across her upper lip. For a crazy moment, Scanlan thought he might give in and lean down to kiss it away, but the thought was gone in an instant as Grog wrapped a massive arm around Pike to give her a delighted squeeze, that turned into the adoptive siblings wrestling. Jumping up on the table, Scanlan started awarding points for clever moves, eventually announcing Grog as the winner. “But I had him!” The now disheveled Champion huffed.

“Pulling on the beard is a ten-point penalty, you agreed to that last week.” Scanlan admonished her, amusement and affection blending in his gaze.


	6. "That was impressive."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Kissing  
> Tagged: Relationship Exploration  
> Tagged: Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ran a little longer than expected...

Her eyes were shining brightly, at him, as she sprawled across the silky sheets of his bed in the mansion, sheets that suddenly felt a little tawdry next to all that she was. Of course, she was just laying on her stomach, fully dressed, as he played a song for her, but still, a man could imagine it going a little farther than that, as long as he wasn’t rude about it, couldn’t he? Scanlan set his lute carefully into the stand in the corner and walked across the room to sit on the floor by the bed, leaving the pair of them eye to eye. "I meant every word, Pike. These past few years have been magical, the time I got to spend with you, the time you arranged for me to spend with Kaylie... It was everything I ever hoped for and more. I didn't think dating could ever make me feel so fulfilled."

She reached out for his hands and he gave them to her without a moment's hesitation, enjoying the feel of her calloused palms against his. Her callouses were from wielding her mace and the heavy work that was the reconstruction of the Temple in Vasselheim. His were from lute strings and wielding the longsword Mythcarver, though the latter were starting to fade. It had been a long time since he had had to wield a blade, even in battle. His magic got him through so much these days, and he finally felt like his role backing up his friends, Pike, in particular, was just as valuable a job as being in the front line. Pike had made him feel that. "Scanlan?" 

There was a note in her voice that he hadn't heard before, and he turned his attention from their linked fingers to her face, a little closer to his than he remembered. Her big blue eyes filled his vision, and he had the mad urge to lean forward and kiss her, but he didn't. He'd been letting her set the pace in this relationship, and she seemed to be doing a much better job at it than he would. Nothing was rushed, every moment cherished. It was a slower pace than he believed possible, and yet he never felt frustrated, he didn't want to rush a single moment of it. "What's up, Pikey?"

"Dating you has shown me a whole different side of you, and I really, really like it. I mean, I like the other side of you too, but sometimes I worried that you weren't honest about your feelings. I... I wanna be with you. Like, for the long term, but I don't ever want you to feel like you are trapped. I care about you enough to give you all the space and freedom you need. If you need to sometimes go to the house of lady favours, that's okay, I don't mind anymore because I know that you really care for me, you know?"

A small laugh escaped his lips and he squeezed her hands, giving in to his urge to place a soft kiss against her lips. She returned the kiss, and that encouraged him to pull away, trailing butterfly kisses up her cheek and across the scar that was the only hint of imperfection she bore, and to him, it showed how brave she was, how much she had been through. "Pike Trickfoot, I have never been so free as I have been in your company. Free to be exactly who I am, without the bluff and bluster. Free to see and be seen, in a way I wanted before but pretended I didn't. This is everything I want and more."

Pike blushed, ducking her head as she gathered her wits and he brushed another kiss across her forehead. Squeezing his hands tight, but not too tight because she was a monstah and he was a musician, she let the words tumble from her mouth, running together in a nervous rush. "Ithinkthatweshouldgetmarried. Soon."

It took him a moment to parse what she said, but when he did he glowed, shooting to his feet and pulling her off the bed to squeeze her tight. "I thought you'd never ask!" 

"So yes?"

"I want to, but I think I better ask Grog's blessing first. He's a sensitive guy you know."

"I love you, Scanlan Shorthalt." He did eventually get Grog's blessing, but it was a few hours before they left the mansion in search of their tall friend. They were too busy celebrating.


	7. "Yes I did, what about it?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Arguments  
> Tagged: Team Big and Smalls  
> Tagged: Mild Angst?

Her hands were on her hips, face set in a stubborn line. Across the room her best buddy/brother had his own massive hands on his hips, his face equally stubborn. The pair glared daggers at one another, and Scanlan slunk low in his seat, afraid that he was about to get caught in the crossfire. Grog and Pike didn't fight often, but every pair of siblings was bound to have their dust-ups, at least that was what Percy said, and he had once had a lot of siblings, so Scanlan was inclined to believe him. "Wilhand said this was my house too, and that means I can put things on the wall if I want to. My special lady friend gave me that painting!"

"Grog if I won't let Scanlan put up naked paintings of himself in the house, what made you think it would be okay to have naked paintings of your friend from the house of lady favours? I live here too you know, and though I agree she's very lovely I am not having Vex and Keyleth over for tea and book club with some other lady's breasts staring at us! Besides, what about Kaylie? She visits a lot now, and we've finally got her believing that Scanlan is less of a man whore, sorry my love but you kind of were for a while, and that painting won't help their relationship any at all!"

Scanlan looked back and forth between the two of them. He was pretty good at reading people, had used it to his advantage both back when he was with Dr. Dranzel, and again when he was acting as the Meat Man. More importantly, there were no two people he knew as well as Grog and Pike, and something here was wrong. "Grog?" Two angry pairs of eyes turned to him and for a moment his courage almost failed him, but he hadn't made himself famous by backing down when the plan turned out to be bad. "You never wanted to hang naked lady pictures before, why now? You must have known that Pike would get mad..." It was like lightning struck his brain, and suddenly he realized exactly what was going on, just as Grog broke.

"It's just, I thought living wif my two best friends would mean we would hang out all the time like back when we was on the road. And before Pike'n me would have sleepovers out in the backyard in our tents and stuff and it was always really fun, but we never do anything like that. I know it's important when Kaylie is here for you to spend time with her, but what about Grog time?" 

Just as Scanlan knew she would, it was one of the things he loved about her, Pike immediately softened like butter left out on a hot day. "Oh, buddy..." She threw herself across the table and wrapped her arms around their sobbing, silly goliath. Grog, in turn, wrapped her up in a hug that would have been far past uncomfortable for Scanlan, and with a smile the bard backed out of the room, leaving it to the other two to patch things up while he sent a message up to Whitestone asking if Vex would mind them taking a brief camping trip in her woods for a few days. Heck, if she could pull her husband away from the clock tower they could come too, and bring the munchkin.


	8. "I'm not doing that again."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Kissing  
> Tagged: Medical Attention

Scanlan and Pike sat at the bottom of the ravine where they had fallen, saved from a messy transformation into so much pudding by the bard's quick use of a Featherfall spell. Pure white light glowed from Pike's fingers as she gently healed the cuts and bruises her fellow gnome had taken on the way down. One particularly nasty one looked like it might be infected, and she spent a few moments examining it before she sealed it up. "Honestly Scanlan, we fought dragons and demons and vampires, but you almost got us murdered by a common hawk."

The bard winced and then flashed Pike his most charming smile. "Okay so that last bit was kinda awful, but tell me that up until that point you weren't totally enjoying being a pair of turtledoves out for a mid-day flight? They're so pretty, and peaceful, and they're pretty good flyers too, right?" Pike gave him an incredulous look, and then with a laugh shoved on his forehead, sending him sprawling in the dirt. With a chuckle of his own, he tangled his legs with hers, dragging the cleric into the dust with him. For several lighthearted moments, the two gnomes wrestled in the dirt, finally coming to a panting end when Pike pinned Scanlan down, her legs straddling his. "Well, it seems I am, once again, at your mercy Miss Trickfoot, as I have been every moment since we first met. You have lured me out here with your feminine wiles, what nefarious plan do you have for me?"

"Why Mister Shorthalt, are you suggesting that this hare-brained trip was somehow my idea?" With a wicked grin, she reached down and tickled under his armpits. With a shout of outrage, the wrestling match continued as he fought to escape her relentless, clever fingers. Finally, she let him win, smiling innocently up at him from her comfortable spot amidst a clump of grass. It felt like the tension between them was crackling with electricity as they just looked at each other, taking in disheveled hair and pink-tinged cheeks. Impulsively Pike leaned up and placed the smallest kiss at the end of Scanlan's nose. Chuckling affectionately, he followed her face back down, the kiss he pressed against her nearly worshipful in his tenderness and thoroughness. _Well maybe we'll do it again,_ she thought, _just once at least..._


	9. "Will you look at this?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Birth  
> Tagged: Team Big and Smalls  
> Tagged: Fluff

There was awe in the uncharacteristically quiet voice of the goliath. He was hesitant to even step closer, worried that somehow his presence would disturb the beautiful scene before him and his companion. Beside him, his face almost unbearably smug with a smile stretching from ear to ear, was his best buddy Scanlan Shorthalt. He hadn't wanted to come back in the house yet, but his buddy insisted that Pike wanted to see him, and how could he say no to her? "Innit the most beautiful thing you ever saw Scanlan?" 

The bard patted his big friend's hip and offered him a tired smile. "You should have been here four hours ago, it was anything but pretty. I knew our Pike could handle it, though. There's nothing she can't do. Come on, meet the little dumpling." The companions stepped into the room, Grog moving as if he would break something at any second before sitting down beside the bed that held his oldest and dearest friend. On the other side, Vex stood, her husband's arm wrapped around her shoulders. 

Tired eyes smiled at him over the tiniest, most wrinkled little face he had ever seen in his whole life. "Well Uncle Grog, would you like to hold him? I wanted you to be the first." Fear and wonder crossed his face, but he nodded and held out hands that were almost bigger than the precious bundle that Scanlan passed to him. Propped up on fresh pillows, the girl he called monstah laughed. "Her name is Juniper, we thought it fitting."

Grog chuckled, cradling the infant as if she might shatter at any minute. "Juniper, after your mum, right Scanlan?" Soft chuckles circled the room; because all hurts heal in time, even ones that had such devastating consequences when they first came out. After Grog, Vex wanted to hold the baby, even though she had already had a couple of her own by then, but before the evening grew too old, little Juniper was back in Uncle Grog's hands. He was more confident now, back against the bed while he and Pike and Scanlan talked about those that came before. Juniper, and Wilhand, and even old Stonejaw. 


	10. "All I ever wanted"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff and Romance

The words caught in his throat. Him, a bard who had performed for decades in front of crowds big and small, but somehow, now, within this moment that mattered more than anything had since he discovered his daughter, he struggled to speak. He wanted to laugh at himself, but that might just be hysteria settling in. He cleared his throat, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and loosened his grip on the work-roughened palm that was pressed against his own. "From the moment I first saw you, first heard your voice, first basked in the light that seems to shine from you, all I ever wanted was to be noticed by you. I tried every trick in my repertoire, pulled out all the stops, but seeing you disappointed in me was worse than not being seen at all. After that, I tried hard to be worthy of spending time in your presence. You made me a better man."

Her brilliant blue eyes trapped his, pushing every hesitation or thought of failure away like a broom chasing dust from the edges of the room. With just her eyes she conveyed so much feeling, and it made his spine shiver, even after all this time. "Scanlan, you were always worthy. When we first met I thought you were weird, but in an endearing way. As time went by, the weird never changed, not really. Maybe you showed it differently than other people, but through some of the scariest moments of my life, you showed that you would be there. It took you leaving for me to realize what you had come to mean to me. Sometimes love is lightning bolts striking from the sky and catching whole fields ablaze, but sometimes it's softer. Sometimes it's a small coal that builds the warmth in the room until it is a cheery, bright fire. Flashes of lightning can be exciting, but what I always wanted was a cozy fire to sit in front of, and for me, that's you. You were always a better man, I just needed to learn to see it."

Somewhere behind them, Grog was sobbing into what Pike was fairly certain was one of the decorative seat covers Vex had ordered in specially for their wedding, and it made her smile just imagining the scolding her buddy was going to receive after the cleaning bill showed up. Unable to help himself, Scanlan leaned forward and kissed the uplifted corner of her lip. He called it 'catching her smile to save for later' and it made her blush. "I think you're supposed to save the kissing until after you have been declared married, darlings." Vex's voice came from somewhere beside the crying goliath. Laughing the two gnomes turned to the druid conducting the ceremony, her face the very picture of amused indulgence. 

"I declare you husband and wife. Finally!" Eyes twinkling from beneath her antlered headdress, Keyleth spread her arms wide, throwing back her cloak and releasing the spell she'd been casting as they exchanged their vows. Above them, the light cloud covering parted, and the sun shone brightly over the gathering, caught and reflected in the tiny crystals sewn into the trim of both the bride and the groom's outfits. Pike wrapped an arm around Scanlan's waist and dipped him back, kissing him thoroughly enough to make his head spin. When she let him up, both of them a little short of breath, she laughed and winked. 

"Come on, husband. Let's go party."


	11. "I told you so"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff and silliness

The two gnomes stood side-by-side, staring at the bed frame that currently appeared to be trapped forever at a strange angle within their front door frame. The headboard was hooked against the lintel; and no matter which way they turned it, it refused to allow the bed to move either forward or back. "I told you, Grog fits through the door because he ducks, and this is wider than he is! We should have gotten the one that came in several pieces." There was no heat or frustration in her voice, though there might have been the slightest hint of smug satisfaction as she watched her husband try once more to wiggle the massive piece of furniture in through the frame that was clearly not going to permit it to enter.

"You said that at the carpenters, my love, but the artistry! This one is carved from a single tree trunk! The thing must have been huge, and I wanted it..." Scanlan was whining, he knew he was whining, but he hated it when he was wrong. One of these days he would learn to just accept the truth when it stared him in the face, but today was not that day. Maybe there was some way he could magic this into working? But the spell he knew only worked on living, breathing people. It wasn't fair, he knew he had seen larger pieces of furniture inside other people's houses! "Maybe if we just opened the door a little wider..."

"Scanlan Shorthalt!" Pike's voice was aghast. Sometimes the man posed plans that were truly outrageous. This was worse than the triceratops incident. "We are not cutting open my grandfather's house so that you can fit your fancy bed inside it!"

Scanlan sighed, rubbing his forehead and trying to think of whom they could ask for help. Percy and Vex were a little occupied with their horde of young ruffians, and Grog was off in Vasselheim bashing people in the head... in fact, Keyleth would be there in an hour to take them to watch his final bout. Who else had a penchant for extravagant furniture, he knew he had seen something recently... "GILMORE!" At his wife's confused look, he hurried to continue. "He has all sorts of massive furniture, and his doors are no bigger than ours! I bet he has some kind of spell to get them all in there in one piece."

"We can't bother Shaun about something like this, Scanlan. Don't be ridiculo-"

"Shaun, it's Scanlan. I'm having interior decorating issues. Can you come by our place and help? Please?" He paused a moment, head tilted to one side, and then grinned a broad, 'I'm so clever' grin. "He says he'll be right over, he just has to finish with a customer."

"You are impossible, Scanlan Shorthalt."

"But you love me."

"Of course. I'm going to go have tea with Vex and complain about you. Have fun with Shaun." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and headed off, leaving her husband grinning affectionately after her.


	12. "Watch me."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff

"It's not that hard. Just do what I do." Pike rolled up her sleeves past her elbows and then plunged her hands into what could only be described as a big old bowl of gloop, as far as he was concerned. Scanlan Shorthalt wrinkled his nose in disgust and tugged half-heartedly at his fancy silk sleeves.

"Pike, my angel, my heart's love... when you said you wanted to spend more time together, I thought you meant _you know_ not..." Scanlan affected a horrified shudder, "Manual labour. If you want freshly baked biscuits, I can send someone down to the store, or get Mort to do it, or even set up the mansion and have it ready to go inside... Is it really necessary to get all sticky ourselves just for this?"

His wife, and damn but he loved that phrase, laughed at him, that delightful almost mocking tone running through him like a lightning bolt of love. "Don't be silly, Scanlan. They taste much better when you make them yourselves. We've been working on this recipe at the Slayer's Cake, and I think I have it just about perfect." She lowered her lashes and looked up at him through them, and he knew he was a goner. Who could resist Pike Trickfoot doing her awkward best to be seductive and succeeding in spades? "I thought maybe the only thing that would make it perfect would be having my husband beside me and helping out."

How could a man, any man, resist that kind of manipulation? He let out a laugh of defeat and pushed his sleeves up, settling in beside his wife and bumping her hip with his own. "You never used to be so sneaky, have you been getting tips from Vex'ahlia again?" She giggled in response, and he knew that he had hit the figurative nail on the head. That charming half-elf would be the death of him via his own precious Pike if he wasn't more careful. Regular Pike was a danger to his heart and head, but Pike with an extra dash of charm and coquetry? He might as well give up the faint hope of every winning any disagreement again, as long as they both shall live. She looked up at him, a smudge of flour on her cheek and a smile so bright it wrapped him in a feeling as warm as one of her hugs. Then again, maybe he didn't mind losing... at least not to her.


	13. "I missed this!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Team Big and Smalls  
> Tagged: Combat

Ducking under a rusty axe the size of his entire body that was swinging at his head, Scanlan cast an incredulous glance over to where his wife was fending off two hammer-wielding ogres. "Pike, my beloved, my most precious darling... I don't think I heard you right.  _ You miss THIS _ ?" A twinkle of inspiration shone in her eye as she squared up against her foes, hands adjusting their grip on her mace. Exasperated, Scanlan pulled a small sword, like a shining child's toy, from his pocket, and with a whispered word and an obscene gesture it expanded into a glowing blade made out of purple energy. He swung it at his attacker, muttering about the questionable sanity of his chosen life partner, and postulating as to whether he was less sane since that feral light in her eyes had definitely turned him on.

Blowing her husband a kiss, she swung the mace twice, the second hit landing with a pulse of brilliant white light, felling her attacker. With a holler of triumph, she turned to the second ogre. "Come and get me! I'm a monstah!" 

From just outside the battlefield the figure of a goliath hauling a massive axe over his shoulder could be seen running in their direction. "SAVE ME ONE PIKE!" Internally questioning his choice of family, Scanlan ducked and rolled as the axe came at him again, the second one clipping his hip and sending him crashing to the ground, blood pooling in a concerning fashion on the ground beside him. Ducking under the swing of her ogre, Pike strafed around him, reaching over to touch Scanlan with a gloved hand, letting the warmth and light of her magic flow over him, healing his injury. She whirled back around, stopping the hammer of her opponent against her shield, grinning into the startled face of the much-bigger ogre.

A moment later and Grog arrived, allowing Scanlan to step back and put some space between himself and the very large weapons. Turning his attention to the ogre trying to smash his wife into applesauce, his eyes turned an inky black and he glared at the disgusting creature. Catching sight of Scanlan, the ogre paled and turned on their heels, immediately beating a hasty retreat, a laughing Pike hot on his heels. Grog was wrestling with Scanlan's former opponent, weapons forgotten as they grappled for the upper hand. With a wave of his own hand, Scanlan brought his magic blade around, slicing through the calf muscle of his big friend's leg, and Grog triumphed with a shout of glee. The bard shook his head, was Pike  _ laughing _ ?


	14. "You better leave now."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff

His voice was so sad it damn near broke her heart, and with an affectionate chuckle, Pike turned and gave her husband a fifth hug, her bags by the door reminding her that there were others waiting on her arrival. "Scanlan, it's not like I will be gone forever. Grog and I will be at the competition for two weeks, and Kaylie will be here by tomorrow to keep you company. Besides, didn't you say you were going to try to convince her to come to Vasselheim for the weekend? We will see each other then." She brushed her lips across his cheek in a gentle kiss, knowing if she offered anything more she'd get caught up in another round of enthusiastic goodbyes. The first round was why she was running late already, and why her hair was mussed and her clothing rumpled, but she wasn't complaining.

The dramatic sigh he responded with was worthy of his years on the stage, and she raised a hand to cover her mouth, not wanting to belittle his performance by bursting into laughter, though the effort was difficult. "I will waste away without you, Pikey-pants. 'Til death do us part! That was the vow we made, and here you are, not even a year into our marriage and you're running off with another man." He threw an arm over his brow and sunk into a chair, and if she wasn't struggling so hard to remain aloof, she would have noticed him sneaking a peek under the crook of his elbow to ensure that she was watching.

With a fond shake of her head, she blew him a kiss and picked up her things, hearing Grog bellowing her name halfway across the town. "I love you, and I will see you soon."


	15. "Not interested, thank you."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff  
> Tagged: Alcohol consumption  
> Tagged: Kissing

Her tone was firm but polite, yet if one looked at her closely they could see the beginnings of irritation showing in her big blue eyes, and he always looked at her closely. Watching Pike was like listening to a symphony or staring at a great painting, there was always some new, subtle nuance to take in and savour. Today he was watching her indignation rise, little by little, as the inept and rather intoxicated halfling flirted with her with increasing amounts of insistence. "As irresistible as you seem to perceive your offer as being, I've told you three times now that I am here with my husband. Will you please go away?"

"Come on, a pretty young thing like you? Dump the chump and I promise I'll show you a good time." He leaned in close enough that she could smell the malted hops that made up whatever he had been drinking all night. Across the room, Pike made eye contact with her aforementioned husband. He raised an eyebrow in an unspoken request. _You want me to come over there?_ She shook her head minutely, rolling her eyes. _I can handle this idiot_. Scanlan settled back into his seat, trusting that if his wife was certain she could handle the situation alone, that she would do so with style. At that moment, the idiot lurched forward, placing a hand on her arm. With a fearsome frown, Pike peeled his hand off of her, and then pumped a lesser restoration into him for good measure. Sobriety hit him like a shock and he stumbled backward. Being the helpful sort, she took a step forward as he fell to the ground. 

Placing a dainty, booted foot on his chest she made sure she had his attention. "No means no. It's a simple concept, and I really think you should spend some time studying it. I run a woman's combat class at the Temple of the Everlight. You should come and watch us some time, and learn to be grateful that I didn't break your fucking arm." With a sniff, she stepped over him and headed back across the room to her husband. Leaning in she planted a kiss on his lips, wrapping an arm around his back so she could dip him. 

When they came up for air, he fluttered his lashes at her. "Why Pikey-pants, you take my breath away." With a laugh, Pike kissed his cheek and settled in beside him. A barmaid came over with their drinks, giving the married couple a wink before she whisked away again.


	16. "I never wanted anything else"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Baby  
> Tagged: Fluff  
> Tagged: Kissing

Pike stood in the doorway of Juniper's room, a hand pressed to her mouth to keep the soft sounds she was holding back from escaping. Scanlan had his back to her, their little girl cradled in his arms as he whispered to her. "You are absolute perfection, my precious one. Beautiful and strong and smart, just like your mommy. I'm going to be such a good daddy to you. I can't wait to find out what you'll become. Your older sister Kaylie is a bard like me, but I bet you'll be more like your mommy." His head ducked to the side as tiny fists flailed. "See? A fighter already. And I'll be beside you every step of the way. I'll kiss every booboo, and heal every hurt that the world tries to throw at you. Not even a whole pack of angry dragons could keep me from your side." 

He kissed the downy hair on top of her head and gently placed the tiny bundle into her crib, heart clenching as she looked up at him one last time with eyes as blue as his wife's. Turning around, he saw Pike standing in the door, and ducked his head, blushing a bit in embarrassment. Putting a finger to his lips he exited the room, carefully closing the door behind him without a sound, and then wrapped his arms around the waist of the Champion of the Everlight. "How did I get so lucky, darling Pike? I have you, and our precious Juniper, and even Kaylie has been by every day this week to see her new little sister. After everything I did, it feels like a boon that I don't deserve."

Pulling him away from their daughter's room and into their own, Pike closed their door and wrapped him in her arms, squeezing him as if she could force all the love in her heart into his with the embrace. Placing a soft kiss on his cheek, she fell in love with him all over again when she noticed it was damp. "Scanlan Shorthalt, you may have a few faults, but you saved the world. When you found out you had a daughter you did all that you could to be part of her life and to make up for last time, and as a husband, you have been more than I ever could have dreamed for. You deserve this happiness." Lacing her fingers between his she tugged him towards the bed. "And you deserve _this_ happiness as well." Love danced in her eyes as she stripped him piece by piece, empowered by the awe and delight that he showed every time they were alone like this, together. That light made her feel powerful and sexy, and any number of things that she had only ever truly felt here with her husband, and it was why she loved him so dearly.


	17. "Give me a minute, or an hour..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that there was such a long gap. I hit a mental health wall mid-November and had a lot of difficulties pulling myself out of it. I'm back though, and committed to completing this.

The words, shouted in response to his call for Pike, came down from the roof of their house, and were quickly followed by the pounding of a hammer. Hands on his hips in frustration, Scanlan summoned a large hand formed from purple energy and had it raise him up to the roof so he could see what in the world his wife was doing right now. Seeing her filled his heart with joy, as it always did, but also with the tiniest smidge of frustration. "Pike, my beauteous wife, my most cherished treasure... We have money, we could hire someone to climb up and patch the roof, heck, we could hire someone to reroof the whole house, what we cannot do is make one of the most talented, and grouchy, painters in all of Tal'Dorei wait because you felt that perhaps the best person to engage in carpentry was the  _ Champion of the Everlight _ ."

Brushing a loose lock of hair from her face, leaving a streak of sawdust across her forehead, she grinned at him, hammer held loosely in one hand. "But Scanlan, I was right here, and I like fixing our house." There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye that he had long since learned meant that she was about to yank his chain. Maybe if he ignored it they could make their appointment with minimal effort just this once.

"Does that imply, Pikey dear, that you do not like sitting for portraits?" Her grin spread wider and he sighed. "Can't you just do this for me? You know how much I long to be captured in oil and canvas, this beauty must be preserved for future generations!" He struck a pose, sneaking a glance to see if his magnificence was having any effect on the agreeability of his wife. What he saw, however, was not glowing adoration. Instead, Pike appeared to be trying to suffocate herself with her own hands, face red with the effort not to laugh. Slumping forward dramatically he gestured futilely in her direction. "Don't hurt yourself, you might as well laugh." Peals of laughter escaped her, and he just shook his head. Some people's wives had no care whatsoever for the dignity of their husbands.


	18. “You don’t see it?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Parenting

She looked into the mirror again, trying to figure out what he meant. Features that made her father handsome were only passably attractive in a female face. Her chin was too stubborn, her nose too big, her hair too hard to tame. Kaylie froze as his fingers tightened slightly on her shoulders, realizing that she’d said all that out loud, where someone else could hear them, but she settled her features into her usual aggressive challenge. It’s not like people hadn’t said these things out loud to her before, who cared if he didn’t like her saying them.

“Oh Kaylie.” It almost shocked her to hear the sorrow in her father’s voice. Over the years as they tried to find their way to some kind of truce, she’d heard it there a lot, but this time she heard something else, maybe regret? “I think maybe you don’t spend enough time around gnomes. Pike honey, can you come in here?” After a moment her father’s wife joined them, and Kaylie shuffled uncomfortably. There was just something so integrally  _ good _ about Pike Trickfoot, it made a body think of all the bad they had done. Her father had to have no conscience at all to be able to share his life with her. “Now Kaylie, I think we can both agree that Pike is beautiful, can’t we?” Blushing with embarrassment, she nodded. “Now, why don’t you ask Pike what she sees when she looks in the mirror?”

Confusion painted her face, but Pike smiled kindly. “Oh that one’s easy. My jaw is too square, my ears stick out, my nose has been broken a couple too many times, and I’ve got a big ugly scar on my face. Put all that together, you get me, and I learned to love myself a long time ago. I think that maybe if you could see yourself the way we do, you’d realize that all those things you hate about yourself make up you, and you are a beautiful young gnome.” Kaylie frowned. “You don’t have to believe me now, but just think about it.”

Taking Scanlan’s hand, Pike led him out of the room, leaving Kaylie alone in the mirror, trying to see past the flaws that she always seemed to notice first.


	19. “I can’t do this anymore!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Angst  
> Tagged: Team Big and Smalls  
> Tagged: Character Death

Pike dropped the once strong hand she had been holding and stumbled away, tears trailing down her cheeks. She wasn't a coward, she wasn't running away, but she couldn't listen to him ask for this again. Not today, with that pleading look in his eyes. She wasn't strong enough, and she was afraid that he would convince her to give in. Then it would be her fault. The footsteps that left the room only sounded like they were fleeing. Scanlan squeezed the hand he was holding gently, meeting confused eyes that had sunken into the strong-featured grey face. “It’s okay, big guy. You didn’t do anything wrong. She’s just having a bad day. I’ll go check on her and then come back and read to you some more. She’ll come around. She loves you too much to do anything else.”

He found her curled around herself in the back of a closet, face red, tears dripping down her chin, and just a little snotty. She wasn’t poised and pretty when she cried, she wept with her whole body, and he loved her for it. She mourned with an honestness that he rarely allowed himself. But Grog wasn't dead yet, and she had to see reason. A last request was a serious thing, and she was letting emotions cloud her reasoning. His job as her husband was to protect her, even if it was from herself. In the end, he knew she had to do what was asked of her, or else it would eat away at her forever. Settling onto the floor beside her, he pulled her in close, hugging her as if he could squeeze the sadness from her bones. She turned, wiping her face on his shirt and he tried to neither wince nor think of what all that effluvia was doing to the silk. “I can’t watch him die in pieces like this, Scanlan.”

He stroked her back gently, making a soft, wordless shushing noise. Scolding his wife was always easier if he didn't have to look her in the eye. Instead he ran his hands through her tangled hair, frowning as he noted how dead and lifeless it had gone. He hadn't noticed how badly she had been neglecting herself during their best friend's decline. “We knew this day would come, Pikey. Gnomes live a lot longer than Goliaths. Heck, I’m pretty sure Grog lived longer than most Goliaths just because of being close to you. He doesn’t want to die in that bed, sweetheart. It’s time to say goodbye and let him go find the death he deserves. Would you refuse him the right to go out fighting? Would you really refuse to go with him? Would you really let him waste away in that bed to assuage your own fears?” He had really thought she would have given in by now.

Pike turned her tear-stained face up to look at her husband, anger and anguish fighting for control of her eyes. “He’s my brother! I can’t help him kill himself!”

“He’s your brother. Will you ever forgive yourself if you don’t?”


	20. "Did I Ask?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Father-Daughter Relationship  
> Tagged: Angst

He stopped mid-turn and looked back, really examining his oldest child. Kaylie had her arms crossed in front, hips cocked to one side. The pose was all him, but the stubborn look on her face was Pike's, and that made him a little melty on the inside. Still,  _ he _ was supposed to be the parent here. "No, you didn't ask, you ordered, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to fold like a cheap deck of cards, Kaylie. Pike and I both have responsibilities, and we just got the little ones settled back into a routine after..." He couldn't say the words, they still stuck in his throat even weeks after. 

"And  _ I _ said I'd stay with them, here in the house, and keep them on schedule. She needs this, she needs to get away from everything that reminds her of him. She's so fucking sad it breaks my heart. She needs you, and I can hold down the fort here while you fix her." He looked past his girl and out the window to their little garden. He couldn't see her from here, but he knew that just the big oak tree his wife would be sitting, on a bench built too big for a gnome, and staring out into nothingness. The whole house resonated with Pike's sorrow, but he'd thought it best to just let her process things at her own pace. He hadn't expected his sometimes harsh daughter to barge in and order him to make it better; as if she actually believed he had that power. "Scanlan...  _ Dad _ , please."

Without thinking he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the girl. She stiffened for a moment, but then returned the hug, and he felt that last niggling doubt that she would always hate him melt away. Somewhere along the trail his daughter had forgiven him for being a terrible father. He kissed her forehead. "You've grown into a strong, fierce, compassionate and kind woman, Kaylie, and I am so proud of you. We'll be back in a week." As he headed to fetch his wife, he could hear the mocking laughter of his only child behind him.

"If you aren't, I'm buying all the littles daggers for Winter's Crest."


	21. “This, this makes it all worth it.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Mourning  
> Tagged: Kiss

With a contented sigh, he snuggled against his wife’s side, her strong arm wrapped around his shoulders, his toes digging into the warm beach sand. He’d coerced Pike out here to mourn and recover, but he couldn’t complain about the fringe benefits. The love of his life was a strong woman, and he half-turned his face to place a gentle kiss across the swell of her bicep. “You seem more at ease, Pikey-pants. Are you okay? I know I didn’t really give you a choice about coming out here…” She’d been quiet through most of their trip away, and quiet wasn’t a word he usually used to describe the woman cuddling him close.

With a rough chuckle, she brushed her own lips across his forehead, unconcerned by the symbol of Ioun’s favour emblazoned there. He may never have been much of the religious sort, but she was the Champion of the Everlight, and didn’t that just fill his heart with pride? Every day with her eased that strange hollow pit inside him that said he was less deserving than the people around him. If she loved him, then how could he fail to measure up. That was the secret that he hid from the world, that under the cockiness and showmanship, Scanlan was afraid that he just wasn't good enough. Not around Pike, though, not anymore. She washed all that away with her strength and her smile and her love for him. Maybe that was part of the reason they were out here. Was that selfish? Did it make him a horrible selfish creature that he wanted that surety she brought him back? "I can almost hear you thinking, Scanlan."

He tipped his head up to give her a lopsided grin. "Well you know, I am the champion of a Goddess of knowledge. Thinking kind of comes with the program there. Really though, are you okay? Was this okay?"

She readjusted their poses so they were facing each other, taking both his hands in her own. "Scanlan, I owe you an apology. He was your best friend too, but I was so caught up in my grief that I left you to deal with the children and the arrangements and everything while I just disappeared inside myself. I didn't even give you time to grieve. I should be asking you if you're okay."

He stopped, startled, and paused to think about his response before answering Pike. He didn't want to upset her more, but he wanted to be honest with her. That was important, that there was honesty between them. "When Grog and I became friends, I knew I would outlive him, by a lot. I knew that with what he was he would probably choose his death and that if I respected him I would have to respect that. Every moment with him was worth it, even the bad ones. It hurt, it will always hurt, but we've suffered loss before. All of us have. I knew it was coming though, he and I talked about it. I urged him to talk to you, but he knew that it would make you sad. He was my best friend, but he was your brother, Pike."

"You're right, Scanlan. Everything has been worth it." He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek, but she turned to catch his lips with hers. Wrapping their arms around each other they sunk down into the warm sand, just holding each other as the sun set over the water.


	22. "And neither should you.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff

Pike chuckled, taking the last cookie from her husband's hand and popping it into her mouth as he made a sound of protest. She was just helping him make his point about cookie consumption to their little girl. The room was full of their smallest daughter's giggles of delight as she swooped down, scooping the little girl up and tickling her tummy. "If either one of you eats a single cookie more, you might just explode!" Carrying the little one down the hall towards the bedrooms, she looked back over her shoulder. "I mean it, Scanlan Shorthalt, you put those away!" With mock reluctance, he went through the motions of cleaning up, every moment a production of dramatic proportions, and she turned back to their daughter in order to hide her smile. She snuggled the little one close, breathing in that clean baby smell as she spoke softly. "Your father is the most wonderfully ridiculous man in the whole wide world, Juniper."

With the baby settled into bed, she returned to the kitchen, wrapping her arms around Scanlan's waist as he stood at the sink washing the dishes, her chin resting on his shoulder. He relaxed back into her arms, turning his head to smile at her. "Looks like you're feeling better."

"A brief getaway and a huge helping of domestic bliss can cure just about anything. I should know, I am a cleric after all." Scanlan laughed lightly and they shared a soft kiss before she reluctantly let him go and stepped away. "I'm still not at a hundred percent though, so I'm going to go lay down while Juniper is napping." There was a teasing note in her voice that made Scanlan's head snap up, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Have you noticed how warm our bedroom is these days? I just need to get a little more comfortable." With a sly smile, she turned and moved back down the hall, tossing her shirt towards the kitchen when she pulled it off. The sound of running feet could be heard behind her and with a laugh she took off, determined to get that door closed before he made it to her. Thank the gods she had found a husband she could play with. 


	23. "Do we have to?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagged: Fluff  
> Tagged: Step-mom Pike

Pike chuckled, leaning down to fix her husband's collar which he had undone for what could only be the thousandth time since he'd gotten dressed that morning. Giving up on him keeping it buttoned, she simply smoothed down the lapels and kissed his cheek. "Yes, dear. We absolutely have to. Kaylie is putting a lot on the line to introduce her partner to us, and we are going to be warm, welcoming, and friendly." She gave him her sternest look, though she couldn't keep it up for long. His nervousness was just too endearing.

"But what if he's not good enough for her? What if I hate him? What if he's secretly a mole sent in by one of our enemies just using Kaylie and ultimately planning to break her heart and betray us all?" 

Laughing, the cleric leaned in and gave her husband a second kiss, and a third. She couldn't remember ever seeing him this worried about something, and a social situation? It was almost unheard of. He was usually so suave. So debonair. "Remember, Scanlan, Kaylie is your daughter. Her ability to root out bullshit is better than most young ladies. She's not some bright-eyed girl of eighty-two anymore. I'm sure whomever she is bringing is just as in love as she must be to bring them to meet us."

Smiling in partial disbelief, Scanlan nodded, then bolted to his feet as a knock sounded at the door. Following Pike to the door he kept muttering to himself, and she decided to ignore the fact that he seemed to be going over his spell list. He would never really embarrass Kaylie like that, not after all the progress they had made. She hoped. Opening the door revealed her beloved step-daughter, and standing behind Kaylie, towering over her really, was a half-orc lady, dressed in leathers with a curved bow slung over one shoulder. Scanlan let out a surprised squeak, and Pike nudged him, letting them both in. "I didn't expect-

"No dear, I didn't expect her to be so tall either, but luckily my adopted brother was a goliath. Why don't you go get Grog's chair out of the spare room, Scanlan?" Turning bright red, her husband went off to compose himself and fetch the chair. Pike turned to their daughter and her guest. "Now, why don't you hang your weapons on the rack and we'll get ourselves introduced. Kaylie?"

The younger bard's eyes were twinkling with her father's sense of humour, a wicked grin on her face. "Mama Pike, this is Luursh. Luursh, this is the wonderful woman my deadbeat dad somehow convinced to marry him."


End file.
